The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-01-05

sometimes HIS Wis Il VS. Ct!ufclllS ciuelS
who had scrupIes about dancing III gen
c1:rl were cotyc,l into taking the floor
ior tnis once 3 year. As the clock
struck j., they Joined hands III Il wide
circle and sang, AUD Lang Syne, or,
,lnite as often. Praise God from Whom
ail Blessings Flow. They were not
ashamed TO name Him to whom all
praise belongs in those brave, simple
,layS-th;;E are no more, One more set
the iirginia reel. danced on Christ
mas night N lie Mother Country to this
time. lnde" tie name Of Sir Roger de
Coccrlcv-;;nd the wassal bowl OF egg
no@ vas brought in. y toast to the
health and happiness of present and ab-
sent friends was drunk, and the girls
betooll themselves to the CHEEKY, crowd
ed chambers overhead, leaving the men
to smoke and talk politics about the
drawing-room hearth.
Before sunrise every sleeper on the
! plantation was aroused by the deatening
boom OF the Christmas gun ! heavy
blast OF gunpowder was rammed into a
hollow tree and fired az daybreak. De
donations OF lesser force followed, from
logs riddled with auger-holes and stuffed
with powder, guns, pistols, and pop
crackers, while the outcrles Of
Chris mas gif' my marster" "'"Chris' mas
gil my nistis,. under windows and in
halls. livaicd the .'baksheesh' yells OF
the Bedowin.
Nobody in that region and time said
''lIcrry Christmas, but always "Christ-
mas Gift. - The strife as to who should
get It out first was, with children and
servants, /. claim upon the hberality OF
the latter speaker What was undoubt-
edly the primal significance OF the greet
ing was solemn and beautiful-1otElng
less than proclamation Of the unspeaka-
bic Gift heraldetl by the angels anthem
above the plains of Bethlehem.
TIE HOLIDAY MENU.
Breakfast was not over until II clock,
dinner was served at or ; clock in the
afternoon. Neither soup nor fish was
regarded as an essential to the feast
Roast turkey at the head OF the table was
balanced by boiled turkey with oyster
sauce AZ tthe foot. Roast goose, midway
between the two, mingled fragrant steam
with rising incense OF roast duck on the
other SIDE of the castor; chicken, lamb,
roast beef and ''shoat at';-perhaps {, suck
ing pig baked whole-and the inevitable
boiled ham, were separated by vegetl-
bles, pickles, c;stsups and sauces. FAMILY
silver reflected tie sunshine Of happy
faces; cltt-:sl;lss rs old answered in sii-
very chimes the tlneful clamor Of young
voices.
The ccurtiy fashion of taking w;nc to-
gethcr lent individual interest to the
revcl. The urbane host was ever on the
lookout Tor opportunities to send the
decantar a!ong, with Miss 4, -2lr. Is.
asks tic pleasure OF taking glass OF
wine With you Then tic graceial lift
ing of glasses. the exchange OF bows
across Tic board, the complimentary
phrase from one, the smile Of acknowl
cGgmcnt from the othcr-it is all old
fashioned now, but it was far rrcttier
than the customs that have driven them
out
Ladies and gentlemen called out
dear Old Major \. from the head OF the
table in the Aood-t;de Of the Christmas
wassail. II crave leave to offer toast"
His plantation skirtcd the ApponlattoX
rive2, which lies between Powhatan and
Amelia counties. 1T his right sat his
f;tvoritc ngighbor, powhatan L., who
WIS hctrothed 10 Amelia c., L Florida
belle, not present to-day.
a toast" repeated the host, rising,
mantling tumbler i'll hand, his eyes
trimming with fun and fondness. Il
give yoil-The .tppomattox., May it
cease to flow, that Poahatan and amelia
may be forever united.
TIL: OLD DAYS BEFORE TIE WAR.
.Ah that was the sort Of thing they
did in the old Virginia days, before var
laid their pleasant places waste. People
watched for chances to turn phrases
handsomely, studied the capabilities of
language TO give pleasure to their
auditors. Elegant conversation was a
popular accomplishment. Now, it is
subsidiary to dancing, murdered by
Irritation.
[ have spoken OF Christmas week. TO
limit the festival TO q single day would
have been reckoned Z manning OF their
chief socia! rite From one manor-house
10 another rolled the gladsome party,
tarrying by appointment a day AZ this,
q night at that, talking, dancing, driv-
ine, walking, singing, Iovc-making-in
such in1ocency Of delight rs IS possible
to none but the young. Now and then
they danced Virginia reels, qladrllles,
and cotilions ,also cut OF fashion now,)
on the bare oaken floor OF a barn-hke
par;ol, furnished witt: uncushioued chairs
ard thin-legged tables; rs the wide,
rambling house in which they encamped
for nights frolic was lnpairted, win
dows ana doors had shrrlnk from the
castings, and the blaze OF the INle log
f;.rcd in drafts pouring IL Irola all quar-
ters. Sometimes their progress was
made in rusty shackling cl:ariots, ]urch-
ing heavily through rcd mud two feet
deep. and over corduroy roads that
wouic, have shaken old bones from their
sockets. Over al and above al, they
carried The brave. LAY spirit that laughs
Il. e,,tcrua! discomfort; found every
where gentle breeding and wholc-souled